Hello, friend.

I have long been anticipating the day when I could write my first newsletter, imagining how it would feel to put my words out in the world and find the right soil for them to land. As a chronic “romanticizer”, I’d like to think you’re reading this on your phone, lazing in the summer sun snacking on stone fruit, hands sticky from juice dripping down your arm.

I must admit, my imagery has much to do with the book I’m about to read next: Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman. I’ve never read Aciman’s work, but I recently committed to the film after years of avoiding it until the book was read. While I wish I could have viewed the movie without a storied past of Armie Hammer overshadowing his impressive portrayal of Oliver, the film still deeply called to me.

Summer has happened to me in a way I can’t recall experiencing in adulthood just yet. While I am a wife and a mother, I am also taking the biggest leap of faith in my life as I pursue writing and editing full time. This means that June was simply my recovery period from years in a job I hated, a job I didn’t realize I was allowing to deplete me creatively until I had nothing left to offer.

As I spent time last month lazing around, reading books and articles and cozy gaming, playing chess and UNO with my daughter, spending time with friends and avoiding the summer heat, I found myself itching for pen and paper, for a subject to indulge, and I knew it was time to force myself and my (very ready) words out into the world.

So, here I am, words poised and ready.

This “publication” has gone through several names. I wanted it to make sense without sounding kitschy, and even for a writer, that is not an easy feat. I settled on “marginalia” because I believe that the things pushed to the margins in life are the things worth examining, and because my love for books involves a love for annotation, which is the origin story of marginalia as far as I’m concerned.

My hope is that this space will become a community of like-hearted people who love engaging these marginalized themes that we come across in culture. I want to foster discussion, not simply throw words at you and hope you want them. I’ll be sharing articles, podcasts, books I’m reading and my thoughts on them, and playlists for different moods or projects or genres.

But before I share some articles and podcasts, I want to say thanks for being here, and I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my Substack while you’re at it.. And if you’ve made it to the end of this letter, I’d love to hear how your summer is unfolding, what you’re reading, or new interests you’re diving into while the world slows for refuge from the heat.

ARTICLES:

Chappell Roan spent 7 years becoming an overnight success: I know I am so late to the party it’s laughable, but I was doing some research (read: scrolling on TikTok) and saw a couple reacting to the bridge of “Good Luck, Babe!” and I cannot adequately articulate the depth of the rabbit hole I entered. Some people are calling Roan an industry plant, and after reading this article, I find the accusation laughable. From the songs to the music videos to the costuming and makeup, this girl is a self-made juggernaut on the way to save pop music. And I love that this moment for her didn’t appear before she proudly stepped into the truth of her whole identity. (Vox)

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century: The NYT Book Review had over 500 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics, and other influential bookish people vote on the best books that have been published since January 1, 2000. Each day, they release about 20 titles, and today is 60-41. Exciting, and it even includes an interactive element where you can check off both books you want to read, and books you have read. It creates a shareable graphic, which we know is an important swatch of our social fabric, because if you don’t share it, did it even happen? (NYT Book Review)

BOOKS:

I’ve been recovering from a recent (quite serious) reading slump, and as mentioned above, I’ve just started Call Me by Your Name. But, I still have recommendations for you. (DISCLAIMER: All book links will go to bookshop.org in the interest of supporting independent bookstores, but it is also an affiliate link.)

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck: I’m going to warn you all now, this book is NOT for the faint of heart. Period. And if you have a hard time reading about problematic relationships in general, or unbalanced power dynamics, or 34 year age gaps in romantic relationships, this is not the book for you. But if you want to read some of the most brilliant stream of consciousness writing I’ve read this year, get reading.

The relationship is an allegory of Berlin during the Cold War, and the city’s relationship to itself, but also each sector’s relationship with its occupier (East Berlin with the USSR; West Berlin with the Western Allies). Not only is it a Booker Prize winner, it’s beautifully written, hard to put down even when you want to scream, and heartbreaking in every sense of the word. And if I may, I highly recommend listening to this playlist of songs mentioned in the book as you read (thanks, Saria!).
(Reading Guide)

My Husband by Maud Ventura (translation by Emma Ramadan): This one is for the unhinged, borderline obsessive, so-much-love-inside-me-to-give girlies. If you find yourself micro analyzing every interaction with that special person, if your brand is “anxious over-thinker”, if you are a recovering people-pleaser, or if you liked Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley. A tip: it might seem like the book is to be taken seriously, but I had much more fun approaching it lightly and allowing myself to be entertained by the insanity.

PODCASTS:

This episode on self-care, featured on Pandora Sykes’ podcast Doing it Right (guest Pooja Lakshmin, MD) was quite revolutionary. They address the hypocrisy of the wellness industry commodifying self-care, how self-care as a concept was developed by Black women activists, and why saying “no” is actually the best form of self-care there is (and even better, it’s free!). I also have to mention that Pandora’s book How Do We Know We’re Doing it Right? revolutionized my perspective on modern living. She is now the ambassador for anxious overthinking millennial women everywhere.

Normal Gossip: Listen, it’s not a new podcast or anything, but I am enthusiastic about tea (verbal tea, not herbal, but also herbal). And I especially love when that tea has zero impact on my real life. This podcast is lightning in a bottle: encouraging people to submit anonymous gossip for the hosts, who will select and read aforementioned submissions to a guest celebrity who reacts in real time. It’s fantastic for when you’re doing the dishes or laundry, running errands, or going for your “hot girl walk”. It’s light enough that you can hop in and out without missing important information.

Until next time,
Jess